South Asia's heat wave leaves a billion people in danger of related health problems

South Asia's heat wave leaves a billion people in danger of related health problems

Transcript¹

Some schools have closed early for summer. Hospitals are on watch for heat stroke. South Asia is already hard-hit by climate change. Summer's early arrival this year also threatens the grain harvest.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Summer arrived early in South Asia, way too early. Temperatures topped 120 degrees Fahrenheit² in some areas over the weekend. This brutal³ heat wave is exactly what scientists predict for countries on the front lines of climate change. From sweltering Mumbai, NPR's Lauren Frayer reports.

LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE⁴: At 11 o'clock at night, it's still 93 degrees here - no breeze, not even a quiver of the palm trees. And Chrisell Rebello (ph) is patiently waiting in line at an ice cream shop with a cranky, tired toddler.

CHRISELL REBELLO: It's smoldering⁵ hot. But not only hot, it's also humid, which is making it very difficult. So I think standing⁶ in line for an ice cream for 20 minutes makes it worth it.

FRAYER: Extreme heat is common here in May, but not in April and March, which were both the hottest in more than a century. Some schools have closed early for the summer. Hospitals are on watch for heatstroke. Chrisell says she needs...

REBELLO: A lot of cold drinks, a lot of cold water, AC and probably multiple baths.

FRAYER: Only a fraction of Indians have air conditioning. Instead, people soak rags in water and hang them in doors and windows. Even so, this past weekend, India's electricity demand hit a record high.

ULKA KELKAR: The problem is that all that electricity is still largely coming from fossil fuel sources.

FRAYER: Climate economist⁷ Ulka Kelkar says India gets 70% of its electricity from coal. And burning coal contributes to the exact same warming that all these fans and ACs are trying to provide relief from. It's like a vicious circle. But there is a breaking point. And we're soon going to reach it, Kelkar says, especially in humid cities like Mumbai, where I live.

KELKAR: Heat plus humidity - at some stage, it becomes almost impossible for the human body's organs to function normally. Basically, the body just cannot cool itself. And a large fraction of our population in India still works outside in the fields, on building construction, in factories, which are not cool.

FRAYER: More than a billion people are in danger of heat-related health problems across South Asia right now. This heat wave has also hit at a critical time for the wheat harvest. In Punjab, India's breadbasket, a farmer named Major Singh (ph) told local TV...

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MAJOR SINGH: (Non-English language spoken).

FRAYER: ...That the grain he's harvesting is shriveled. Yields are down. He's losing money. And this is exactly when India was hoping to help boost global grain supplies that have been hurt by the war in Ukraine.

SURUCHI BHADWAL: Year after year, we may have more incidences of such kind and hotter years.

FRAYER: Climate scientist Suruchi Bhadwal says that shriveled grain, the rolling blackouts, the sweltering temperatures even at 11 p.m., they're India's warning to the rest of the world.

BHADWAL: And each country needs to realize that the warning signs will not be given to us forever.

FRAYER: Lauren Frayer, NPR News, Mumbai.

(SOUNDBITE OF ANOUSHKA SHANKAR'S "LAST CHANCE")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。

3 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。